Is religion a cause of people having mental health issues?

Question

Do people just take it too far and go psycho?

Answer 1

never. you must seek the truth .there is only one god.

Answer 2

I find that extremely insulting! I am a catholic! And in no way do i have mental health issues! Also my grandfather has never drank and he is not a psycho! I live a normal life but deeper than yours because I believe in something greater than ourselves, a meaning of life! God! You are basically saying that schools of religon are mental homes! You should change your views, they are insulting! Or keep them to yourself and don't upset people!  

Answer 3

Its a contributing factor but not a sole cause, they are either religious and go nutty, or are nutty and turn religious.

Look at "Serial Mom" for example.

Everyone has different beliefs but when people start trying to brainwash others, or harm others that don't believe the same then it's time they were locked up!

Watch out for people who say "What would Jesus Do?"

Answer 4

It may have contributed in some cases.  It may have helped others.  You can't blame religion as the cause of all the world's problems, though.

Answer 5

Most nutcases I know are deeply religious.

Answer 6

The vast majority of people are adaptive...they adapt to their environment.

So if their environment had a religion, they'd follow that religion.

TV itself has had a tremendous impact on most people's environment, thus most follow the culture that TV has put out...secular.

Some people simply have had much more exposure to intense religions...thus they become an intense religious person. To them, everyone else is wrong. But the truth is everyone is very much like each other...adapting to their environment.

And thus, we can easily create a global world order. All we have to do is control what is on TV. I say TV, because TV is the most accessible, entertaining, and least demanding from people.

This is precisely what is going on now. Those in charge of the media are controlling a major part of everyone's environment. Being adaptive, people just cannot resist adapting to that environment. It is just a matter of time. Like water falling on a stone, it is just a matter of time before that stone is shaped by the water.

All oppressive countries all have intense censorship of their media...including the internet.

Anyway, so, this is not about mental health. This is about how pathetically adaptive the vast majority of people are.

Answer 7

I don't think religion is the cause because most people that have mental illness have usually inherited it genetically.  Do I think that to some people religion can be a catalyst for evil, instead of good.  Yes.  There are certain sects of all faiths that are slightly twisted and usually fundamentalist to the extreme (and I mean ALL faiths, not just one particular).  

To try to blame mental illness on something other than disorganized brain chemistry or disorganized wiring of the brain is foolish and no better than those who twist religion, the Bible and church to justify their own beliefs.

I am so tired of the, "I'm a strict Christian and if you don't believe the same as me you're going to h**l."  and the "I'm a strict atheist and you're stupid if you believe in God" arguments (personally I blame Madeline Murray-O'Hair and the televangelist preachers for all that, but that's just my opinion).  

ALL things in this world have a way of being twisted.  ALL things in this world have the capability of making someone have a psychotic break - whether it's religion, conspiracy theories, the color of the frickin' sky, etc...

Mental illness is a complicated disease that we don't even understand the half of and it is a sad day to watch one that you love fight and fight and fight against it and continuously lose.  To blame only one thing as the cause of it is foolish, short-sighted and ignorant.  

Answer 8

I'd rather say people who are latently psycho and would go psycho eventually anyways, happen to have religious delusions and hallucinations if they are religious.

it's all about what is feeding the delusional mind. a german nonreligious dude may become preoccupied by his history and think he's hitler.

Answer 9

In some cases. Although in some cases mental health issues can relate to how someone grew up- Remember not everyone had a perfect family lifesyle such as parents who get drunk, drugs, divorce, fights, death of 1 or more family members.

Answer 10

Well-said, I totally agree with you.

Particularly Christians.  I've seen worthy beings became useless beings when they converted to newborn Christianity.

Answer 11

I don't think I can say that religion is a cause of mental health issues.  I don't know that anyone knows for sure what causes mental illnesses. Personally, I feel that everyone is born with whatever causes mental illness, and it is just some of us that it fires up in for some reason or another; like a traumatic event.

So, I think mental illness comes first, then we/those affected by mental illness, choose something to become over involved in, or go too far with.

JMHO

Momma P